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Elastic constructive elements prepared by electrospinning using polyacrylonitrile/polyaniline (PAN/PANI) electroconductive composites were prepared and investigated in terms of their thermal and mechanical properties. This study was focused on the impact of the type of counterion of polyaniline and the PANI content in composites on the thermal, conductive and morphological properties of electrospun fibers. In this study, composites obtained from PANI doped with sulfuric acid showed the highest conductivity, and composites obtained from PANI doped with hydrochloric acid showed the highest thermal stability. All obtained composites exhibited good thermal stability, with T 5 values in the range of 230–268 °C that increased with increasing PANI content. The prepared composites exhibited comparable PAN T g values, which indicates their suitability for processing. Instrumental analysis of polymers and composites was carried out using UV–visible spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy.

This study investigates the photocatalytic degradation of organic compounds on TiO2-coated concrete paving cubes, with a focus on their potential for environmental remediation in urban settings. The TiO2 P25 coating significantly enhanced the photocatalytic activity of the concrete surface, enabling effective degradation of model pollutants such as methylene blue. Various application methods were evaluated, including surface coating with and without impregnation, and bulk incorporation of TiO2 into the concrete matrix. Surface properties were assessed using contact angle measurements and absorption tests. Among all tested variants, the surface-coated and impregnated sample (SURF-IMP) showed the highest photocatalytic efficiency, achieving over 67% pollutant degradation. This variant also demonstrated the lowest water absorption and the highest contact angle, confirming improved surface hydrophobicity. In contrast, the bulk-modified sample (MIX) exhibited weaker performance due to limited surface accessibility of TiO2 particles. These findings highlight the importance of the application method in optimizing the performance of TiO2-functionalized concrete. The developed system offers a practical approach to integrating photocatalytic properties into paving materials for applications such as air purification, surface decontamination, and sustainable urban infrastructure.

The thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of polymeric composites combined using polythiophene (PT) dopped by FeCl3 and polyamide 6 (PA), in the aspect of conductive constructive elements for organic solar cells, depend on the molecular structure and morphology of materials as well as the method of preparing the species. This study was focused on disclosing the impact of the polythiophene content on properties of electrospun fibers. The elements for investigation were prepared using electrospinning applying two substrates. The study revealed the impact of the substrate on the conductive properties of composites. In this study composites exhibited good thermal stability, with T5 values in the range of 230–268 °C that increased with increasing PT content. The prepared composites exhibited comparable PA Tg values, which indicates their suitability for processing. Instrumental analysis of polymers and composites was carried out using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

(1) Background: Lactoferrin has been recognized as a potent inhibitor of human herpetic viruses, such as herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2). In this work, we tested if silver and gold nanoparticles modified with lactoferrin (LF-Ag/AuNPs) can become novel microbicides with additional adjuvant properties to treat genital herpes infection. (2) Methods: The antiviral and cytotoxic activities of LF-Ag/AuNPs were tested in human skin HaCaT and vaginal VK-2-E6/E7 keratinocytes. Viral titers and immune responses after treatment with LF-Ag/AuNPs were tested in murine vaginal HSV-2 infection. (3) Results: LF-Ag/AuNPs inhibited attachment and entry of HSV-2 in human keratinocytes much better than lactoferrin. Furthermore, pretreatment with LF-AgNPs led to protection from infection. Infected mice treated intravaginally with LF-Ag/AuNPs showed lower virus titers in the vaginal tissues and spinal cords in comparison to treatment with lactoferrin. Following treatment, vaginal tissues showed a significant increase in CD8+/granzyme B + T cells, NK cells and dendritic cells in comparison to NaCl-treated group. LF-Ag/AuNPs-treated animals also showed significantly better expression of IFN-γ, CXCL9, CXCL10, and IL-1β in the vaginal tissues. (4) Conclusions: Our findings show that LF-Ag/AuNPs could become effective novel antiviral microbicides with immune-stimulant properties to be applied upon the mucosal tissues.

Toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems are entities unique to bacteria. They are involved in the maintenance of mobile genetic elements (MGEs), regulation of gene expression and bacterial virulence. Staphylococcus aureus is a dangerous human pathogen with increasing antibiotic resistance (AR). The maintenance and dissemination of AR determinants is often driven by MGEs, which link AR and TA systems. Our study identified a negative correlation between TA systems and AR determinants in S. aureus . Furthermore, we have shown that the expression of a toxic component of an exemplary TA system negatively affects antibiotic resistance. We argue that in particular strains, a selective pressure maintains either the TA system or AR determinant. Alternatively, TA systems are inactivated by mutations when present together with AR determinants to maintain the functionality of the latter. Our observations uncover an important factor shaping the spread and evolution of both TA systems and AR determinants in bacteria, which is especially relevant to pathogenic species.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO1, Hmox1 ) degrades excess heme and is considered an anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory enzyme. Our previous studies in Hmox1 knockout mice revealed the induction of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in all cell types analyzed, despite unchanged interferon production. Here, we sought to determine whether this induction is driven by intrinsic cellular mechanisms or extrinsic cues at the organismal level, and to identify the pathway underlying HO1-dependent ISG regulation. To this end, we analyzed how ISG expression changes in cultured cells exposed to stressors typical of Hmox1 knockout mice. Using murine wild-type and Hmox1 -deficient (Hmox1 KO) fibroblasts, we found that under control conditions, the expression of most tested ISGs was independent of cellular HO1 status. We next examined the effects of extrinsic stressors, including hemolytic, oxidative, genotoxic, and replication stress, proinflammatory TNFα, and endogenous heme overload. TNFα, which is upregulated in Hmox1 knockout mice, was the sole and universal inducer of ISGs in both wild-type and Hmox1 KO fibroblasts. Unexpectedly, the response of Hmox1 KO cells to exogenous TNFα was weakened, likely due to impaired NF-κB activity and reduced nuclear retention of the p65 subunit. A similar decrease we observed for STAT1. Additionally, the presence of the TREX1 exonuclease in the nucleus pointed to compromised nuclear envelope integrity in HO-deficient cells. Notably, HO1 colocalizes with PARP1, a protein involved in envelope maintenance and regulation of cytoplasmic-nuclear transport. Inhibition of PARP1 with olaparib dampened TNFα-induced nuclear accumulation of p65 and STAT1 in wild-type cells, but not in Hmox1 KO counterparts. In summary, the inflammation observed in Hmox1 -deficient mice appears to be the main cell-extrinsic driver of ISG induction in vivo. Despite this, the inflammatory response to exogenous TNFα is intrinsically attenuated in Hmox1 KO cells, likely due to decreased nuclear retention of NF-κB and STAT1.

This study focuses on intensifying photocatalytic hydrogen generation from glycerol under natural sunlight, examining the effects of cocatalysts and solar applicability. Cocatalysts are commonly employed to enhance the separation of photo-generated charges, while sacrificial agents suppress electron-hole recombination. Utilizing crude glycerol and solar light for photocatalytic hydrogen generation presents a promising avenue. The main objective was to enhance H2 production from a glycerol-containing solution by selecting parameters and scaling up the process using various reactor types and research systems. The study investigated the applicability of natural sunlight for photocatalytic H2 production and examined the influence of organic impurities on H2 production from synthetic and real crude glycerol. Scaling up the process intensified the rate of hydrogen generation, with the highest production achieved using TiO2 loaded with 0.5% Pt under visible light irradiation. It was concluded that H2 can be generated by reducing protons from both water and glycerol, the sacrificial agent. Glycerol and water, in the presence of photodeposited Pt or Pd on TiO2 and light, are converted to H2 through photocatalytic water-splitting and light-induced oxidation of glycerol. The successful application of photocatalysts under natural sunlight for hydrogen production was confirmed, highlighting the potential for sustainable and scalable green hydrogen generation.

Metallic nanoparticles exhibit broad-spectrum activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The antiviral activity of nanoparticles results from the multivalent interactions of nanoparticles with viral surface components, which result from the nanometer size of the material and the presence of functional compounds adsorbed on the nanomaterial surface. A critical step in the virus infection process is docking and entry of the virus into the host cell. This stage of the infection can be influenced by functional nanomaterials that exhibit high affinity to the virus surface and hence can disrupt the infection process. The affinity of the virus to the nanomaterial surface can be tuned by the specific surface functionalization of the nanomaterial. The main purpose of this work was to determine the influence of the ligand type present on nanomaterial on the antiviral properties against herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2. We investigated the metallic nanoparticles (gold and silver) with different sizes (5 nm and 30 nm), coated either with polyphenol (tannic acid) or sulfonates (ligands with terminated sulfonate groups). We found that the antiviral activity of nano-conjugates depends significantly on the ligand type present on the nanoparticle surface.

In this paper, we discuss the influence of the ligand type present on the surface of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on its affinity to the virus surface and its virucidal activity against herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). We selected four different ligands, which potentially exhibit different affinity to the HSV-2 virus surface and used them for functionalization of AgNPs: i) sodium citrate: ii) tannic acid; iii) 1-mercaptoundecane-1-sulfonate (MUS); iv) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The antiviral activity was performed by in vitro Vero cell culture. Anti- inflammatory activity was performed by measurement of NF-κB activity. The antiviral potential of functional NPs in vivo was tested with HSV-2 model of genital infection. Cryo- transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) was used to directly visualize the interactions or lack of interactions of functional NPs with the surface of the HSV-2 virus and to assess their affinity for the virus surface. It was found that the surface chemistry of NPs plays a key role in modulation of its interaction with the HSV-2 virus. Two of the selected ligands (sodium citrate and PEG) were inert and show no affinity to the virus surface. AgNPs functionalized with heparan sulfate-mimic ligand (MUS) showed high affinity to the virus surface, and the appearance of these interactions resulted in virus deactivation in about 50%. In the case of silver nanoparticles functionalized with tannic acid, the assessment of the affinity is difficult to be resolved, mainly because TA-AgNPs exhibit very strong virucidal effect (~100%) and immediately after the contact of the HSV-2 virus with those NPs the virus structure is being destroyed. The obtained results indicate that the high affinity of functional nanoparticles to the virus surface does not provide the high virucidal effectiveness. The most effective revealed to be TA-AgNPs which exhibit very strong virucidal effect against HSV-2 virus.

Identification of biomarkers for molecular classification of cancer and for differentiation between cancerous and normal epithelium remains a vital issue in the field of head and neck cancer. Here we aimed to compare the ability of proteome and lipidome components to discriminate oral cancer from normal mucosa. Tissue specimens including squamous cell cancer and normal epithelium were analyzed by MALDI mass spectrometry imaging. Two molecular domains of tissue components were imaged in serial sections—peptides (resulting from trypsin-processed proteins) and lipids (primarily zwitterionic phospholipids), then regions of interest corresponding to cancer and normal epithelium were compared. Heterogeneity of cancer regions was higher than the heterogeneity of normal epithelium, and the distribution of peptide components was more heterogeneous than the distribution of lipid components. Moreover, there were more peptide components than lipid components that showed significantly different abundance between cancer and normal epithelium (median of the Cohen’s effect was 0.49 and 0.31 in case of peptide and lipid components, respectively). Multicomponent cancer classifier was tested (vs. normal epithelium) using tissue specimens from three patients and then validated with a tissue specimen from the fourth patient. Peptide-based signature and lipid-based signature allowed cancer classification with a weighted accuracy of 0.85 and 0.69, respectively. Nevertheless, both classifiers had very high precision (0.98 and 0.94, respectively). We concluded that though molecular differences between cancerous and normal mucosa were higher in the proteome domain than in the analyzed lipidome subdomain, imaging of lipidome components also enabled discrimination of oral cancer and normal epithelium. Therefore, both cancer proteome and lipidome are promising sources of biomarkers of oral malignancies.